How many times have you excitedly tried the latest options, tricks, tips or “magic bullets” for sales and marketing only to fail? A strategy of constantly embracing the latest, newest or best, only delivers one thing: failure. It causes salespeople to try to win business the hard way. They overlook the three most important, basic steps in every sale. To close a deal, three things must happen.

First, the customer has to want or be shown the PRODUCT.

Second, the customer needs to understand why this is the place to do BUSINESS.

Third, the customer has to want to buy from thisSALESPERSON.

We call this the Three Finger Close. It’s straightforward and simple.

The Product

Above all salespeople must understand that their job is not to sell but to create a positive experience and help customers find and buy the exact product or service that meets their needs, wants and desires. Salespeople must demonstrate a sincere interest in each individual customer, give information and help them find the right product or service. Salespeople must:

Be 100% present and work with a single-minded focus for each customer.

Ask probing questions to develop an understanding of the customers’ unique needs, wants and desires. It’s not about what the salesperson thinks; it’s all about what the customer thinks.

Listen, learn and empathize with the customers, understand problems from their point-of-view and discover essential details in order to successfully guide the selection process and find an exact fit.

Help the customers “try it on.” The salesperson should guide customers as they experience the products’ features that will satisfy their needs, wants and desires.

The Business

Every customer has a choice. If they don’t like your business they leave, go down the street, find the same product, or shop on line and ultimately buy from the competition. Relying on a “great deal” to court customers is usually a last ditch effort that doesn’t work. Why? Because price is not a significant variable. Above all salespeople must make sure customers know that this is the place to do business. They must demonstrate that the business is behind them during the transaction and for the long-term. When this happens you are on your way to converting customers to clients who return repeatedly.

First impressions matter. The business should look professional image from the moment a customer makes first contact, whether online, on the phone or in person. Take customers on a tour of your business or facility. Point out training certificates earned by the staff to show that the business invests in its people. Build value and show customers that the entire organization is there to support and care for them. Talk about the organization’s involvement in the community– Little League, school teams or fundraising, events, charities, etc. Create a brag wall for plaques, photos and other mementos showing this involvement.

The Salesperson

Consumers have a deep-seated desire to trust the salesperson they are doing business with. This trust is built on three pillars:

Sincerity – a salesperson’s ability to genuinely listen and take an interest in the customer’s needs, wants and desires

Respect – the manner in which the salesperson treats the customer and his ability to make the customer feel like he is a VIP, the most important person in the store at that particular time

Honesty – a belief that the salesperson is truly speaking the truth

Building trust is directly related to attitude. Try this: Write down 10 reasons you like the business where you are employed. Then share them with your customers. If you are excited about working for your employer, your enthusiasm will be contagious. Customers will see that you are passionate about your job, that you work in a fun, exciting place, and ultimately, they will want to buy from you.

The Three Finger Close = $ale

Every successful sale requires that these three things happen – customers must want the product, value the opportunity to buy from your business, and want to buy from the salesperson. Salespeople must develop a friendly trust-based relationship with their customer; help customers select a product that meets their needs, wants and desires; and build value by showcasing the depth of commitment the business makes to serve its clients and community well after the sale. Remember, your job is to help customers buy, and part of this is helping them pick the three most important parts of the sale – the product, the business and the salesperson.

Richard F. Libin has written two acclaimed books that help people of all walks of life improve their sales skills, because as he says, “everyone is a selling something. His most recent book, “Who Knew?” (www.who-knew.com), was published in January 2017, and his first book, “Who Stopped the Sale?” (www.whostoppedthesale.com), is now in its second edition. As president of APB-Automotive Profit Builders, Inc., a firm with more than 48 years experience working with both sales and service professionals, he helps his clientele, through personnel development and technology, to build customer satisfaction and maximize gross profits in their businesses. Mr. Libin can be reached at rlibin@apb.cc or 508-626-9200 or www.apb.cc.

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